I'm looking for a room in London for September 2007, where isn't too rough?!?

Question

Have just been offered a training contract by a magic circle law firm in London and am due to start my graduate diploma in law in September 2007, and will be studying in the general area for two years until I start at the firm. The school is near Waterloo and, not being a Londoner and having only a fleeting acquaintance with the city, I'm starting to wonder where I might like to live and realising that I have no clue!

I'm ideally looking to spend less than £450 (£400 if possible!) per month, bills inclusive, and the closer to Waterloo the better... (That said, a good link to Waterloo in the close vicinity would also work nicely.)

Do you guys have any suggestions where I might want to look? Would really appreciate any help!!! Thanks!

Answer 1

Having visited London over 13 times, I can offer you a few tips. However, I have yet to live there -- congrats on starting a new phase of your career.

The Generator Hostel is always a good bet for something extremely cheap and basic that has 24 hour access and private rooms, and no maximum length of stay. There are a lot of people who come to London to work who live in the Generator.

You'll be close to Kings College, so I'd also ask them if they have any dorm rooms that they could let out as flats. I've stayed in Kings College, and the rooms are really nice. You are in an interior court, and the rooms are all on the inside. So you are very safe.

Other than that, I'd say to locate an apartment finder -- hire someone. If you want to spend that little, by the way, you're much more likely to be outside the yellow bottle, that is, the Circle Line Tube that looks like a tipped-over bottle, and way out in the suburbs, if not further, and that means riding the train every day to commute to work.

Good luck, and I'm jealous in the best way that you'll be living and working in London. Nice!

Cheers, K (teacher, traveler who's been to London and all over the UK 13 times and counting)

Answer 2

A good place to look is loot.co.uk with a map of the underground from to find the nearest tube stations and routes into waterloo.

A good place for those starting out in London is Clapham. About 20 mins (e.g. South Clapham) on the underground or about 10 mins on the train (e.g. Clapham Junction). But rents are slightly higher around £600 per month. My only suggestion with Clapham (or anywhere south of the river) is to visit the place. Make sure they don't have a yellow sign at the bottom of the street asking for witnesses to a crime scene - if not then you are in one of the safe bits.

For the rent you are willing to pay, you will have to possibly go quite far out and then trains become more expensive - or live in quite a dodgy area.